So prisons are expensive, not any surprise there. Maintaining them is a burden on tax payers, and not a popular one either. With the prison population rising and costs becoming a major problem one needs to find a solution to this problem. Well why don't we charge the prisoners? They're the ones using the jail anyway. Or something like that. On the plus side this helps defray some of the cost of prison upkeep, on the downside you can exacerbate things by getting a newly released inmate, who may well have difficulty finding work, with additional debt.

So do we charge prisoners fees for stuff in prison?

Yes, it's part of paying for your crime.:

0 (0.0%)

Well maybe for optional luxuries or something.:

8 (38.1%)

No, the last thing the poor need is more debt.:

11 (52.4%)

If the prison charges for a conjugal visit, does that count as state-sponsored prostitution?:

2 (9.5%)

Total:

21

What do I think you ask? I realize micro-transactions are hip and what not, but I can't see this ending well. Feels too much like kicking someone while they're down.

Oh, I know! Open it up like Deadman Wonderland! Latch some deathtrap around their neck, and offer the antidote for them to perform and entertain the populace like it were a fair. The higher the sentence, the more deadly the event. I mean, what would really be the problem with charging people to watch two death row inmates fight to the death coliseum style?

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George Carlin wrote:

I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.

I thought (some?) prisons had commissaries where you could get small luxury items. The idea being that you'd spend your days working in the license plate shop rather than getting into bored trouble and then spend your meager earnings on... I have no idea. Soda pop and roll-on deodorant?

I could be completely wrong. Bearing the cross of clean living means I don't have much prison experience.

Sentenced inmates are required to work if they are medically able. Institution work assignments include employment in areas like food service or the warehouse, or work as an inmate orderly, plumber, painter, or groundskeeper. Inmates earn 12¢ to 40¢ per hour for these work assignments.

Approximately 16% of work-eligible inmates work in Federal Prison Industries (FPI) factories. They gain marketable job skills while working in factory operations, such as metals, furniture, electronics, textiles, and graphic arts. FPI work assignments pay from 23¢ to $1.15 per hour. A high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate is required for all work assignments above entry level (lowest pay level) in either institution or FPI jobs.

The Inmate Financial Responsibility Program (IFRP) requires inmates to make payments from their earnings to satisfy court-ordered fines, victim restitution, child support, and other monetary judgments. Some inmates are assessed a Cost of Incarceration Fee, which is collected under the IFRP. Inmates working in FPI who have financial obligations must pay 50 percent of their earnings to the IFRP. Most fine and restitution money goes to crime victims or victim support groups through the Crime Victims Fund administered by the Office for Victims of Crime in the Department of Justice.

Last week, I saw a guy with an eyepatch and a gold monocle and pointed him out to Flea as one of the most awesome things I've seen, ever. If I had an eyepatch and a gold monocle, I'd always dress up as Mr. Peanut but with a hook hand and a parrot.

I couldn't get past episode 5 or so in that anime, got too bored. Good concept, though.

I think I watched the first 3 or so episode, I'm not sure why I lost interest.

Also, stop imprisoning so many people and maybe it wouldn't be such a problem.

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Theophany wrote:YOU'RE AN ELITIST @#%^ AETHIEN, NO WONDER YOU HAVE NO FRIENDS AND PEOPLE HATE YOU. someproteinguy wrote:Aethien you take more terrible pictures than a Japanese tourist. Astarin wrote:One day, Maz, you'll learn not to click on anything Aeth links.

Charging prisoners isn't going to get you anywhere. Most prisoners are from poor backgrounds and won't be able to pay.

But the question that should be asked is "Why are prisons so expensive?"

We American's are masters at locking folks up. We have more people in prison than China which should be alarming considering the populations of the two countries in question.

I think it is asinine insane we are locking people up for recreational drug use. Which only serves to turn a rather petty criminal into a hardened criminal.

This isn't too popular of an opinion but I think criminal records should disappear or at least not be public. The only thing these serve is making it difficult for offenders to find decent employment and lifestyles thus thrusting them back into a life of crime and back into a costly prison system. If a criminal is such a danger where we have to keep a running record on them, why are we releasing them in the first place?

The system is rife with corruption at all levels, particularly with private-prison systems, something I'm adamantly against.

The labor unions for the guards increase these costs exponentially.

You can't sit and lock up something called 1% of your adult population and expect it to be cheap. I think pragmatic and objective reform of the entire legal system would not only be effective, but at some point it's going to be necessary.

-NW

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The Pessimist: A person who looks both ways before crossing a one-way street.

The only thing these serve is making it difficult for offenders to find decent employment

You mean by letting employers know the guy is a thief, thug, rapist, whatever before trusting them with a role in their company?

I suppose that's two purposes they serve...

Or you could put it:

"has once, committed theft, or once got into a fight, or once got caught with marijuana on his/her person. You know, maybe they PAID their debt to society, and learned a valuable lesson, and would like to get on with starting over."

Unless we make them carry it around emblazoned on a t-shirt for the rest of their lives.

Not gonna touch on the rape thing, there is no way I could ever forgive someone of that. If it was legitimate!

I wouldn't have a problem with most misdemeanors or other minor crimes disappearing after a time. They hurt someone's prospects at contributing/returning to society in a productive manner, and that misdemeanor trespassing charge you got 30 years ago for some college prank really isn't that relevant anymore anyway.

I dunno, if the insurance company will ignore an accident or speeding ticket after a few years, perhaps there's some logic to forgive and forget? At least for some things?

I believe you can get your record expunged for misdemeanors and nonviolent crimes. Get arrested for a felony crime though and you're out of luck. And you need to actually go through petitioning to have your record expunged, it doesn't happen automatically. YMMV state to state.

Or just do all your criminally stupid shenanigans before you turn eighteen. A sealed record is a wonderful thing.

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publiusvarus wrote:

we all know liberals are well adjusted american citizens who only want what's best for society. While conservatives are evil money grubbing scum who only want to sh*t on the little man and rob the world of its resources.

Municipal Fire and EMS services are more and more charging their 'customers'.

If we're paying taxes for these things, one must wonder why the individual is being charged as well.

I think we need to jail fewer peeps. For cost savings and a reduced carbon foot print install LED light bulbs in all the cells.

Oh oh, I almost forgot. I was at our State Prison store last week. Our prisoners do wood-working as a hobby. I told my son his 25th birthday gift had to be something he'd keep forever. He wanted a cribbage board. The prisoners make really nice ones.

Not sure how much revenue the prison store brings in but it's right on the tourist route - the place was crowded.

Also, I was conversing with one of the inmate sales-clerks about the new version of Milton Bradley's Monopoly and how it lacks a jail. He informed me that the 'get out of jail' free cards didn't really work anyways.